[4e]My Player's Got Freedom of Movement at Second Level

[Parvum]

I'm newly a DM and I'm running for a party that includes a second level halfling monk. Long story short, he can push up to two creatures at will. In Fourth edition, this means he can escape from a grab on his turn by making a normal attack. Though not crippling to challenge, it poses a potential problem for me as several monsters coming up happen to be grabby little buggers. I've thought of some options myself, but am unsure which to use. Besides, I'd rather get some advice from more experienced DMs and players.

A) Let him. He invested in a pushing power and deserves the kickass ramifications. That it happens to help him extra is a stroke of luck he deserves.

B) Give the monsters a chance to hold on. Roll a 'move grabbed target' check, and if they would move more than they are being pushed, their prisoner goes with them. Grabbing monsters still need to be a threat towards him.

C) Make the escaping essential for grabby encounters, so the player feels awesome. Thanks, Sir Elderberry.

[Swordgleam]

Doesn't being grabbed give you something like a -4 to attacks? Seems like escaping via attack isn't any easier than using acrobatics or athletics. It does do damage, but hey, good for him. He still suffers from being grabbed, just not quite as much.

[Townopolis]

I would just like to say that, as a player, I always try to grab at least one push/pull/slide at-will and encourage other players in my group to do the same so that we can rescue each other from scorpions, bugbears, chokers, and the like. Since ending grabs is the primary reason I take powers like tide of iron, I would be pissed if the DM nerfed that functionality because they didn't like me being effective.

[KillianHawkeye]

Doesn't being grabbed give you something like a -4 to attacks? Seems like escaping via attack isn't any easier than using acrobatics or athletics. It does do damage, but hey, good for him. He still suffers from being grabbed, just not quite as much.

There's no penalty, you just can't move (you're Immobilized).

OP, I don't think you should nerf forced movement powers. Remember that being grabbed is not the same as being grappled in older editions, as you're only holding on to the target with one hand (or equivalent appendage). It's not wrestling.

EDIT: Do note that there's nothing preventing multiple creatures from grabbing the same target, however.

[Swordgleam]

You're right. On the other hand, escaping via a skill check is only a movement action, not a standard one as I incorrectly remembered.

So your monk is escaping via an attack that might fail but might do damage and is a standard action, instead of a skill check that might fail and is a move action. I guess this gives him twice as many chances to get away if he uses both, but it still doesn't seem like that big a deal. Grabs generally don't last all that long.

[Choco]

If he wants to, let him waste all his turns/actions escaping from a grab. Plan your encounters around that, maybe it will help?

[Sir_Elderberry]

Don't play against your players, play with them. The monk can oppose grabs, and grabby creatures are upcoming? Sounds like an opportunity, not a problem. Make it so that getting in and out of grabs is essential to the encounters--give the monsters abilities to do extra damage on a grab (most already have this if they're "grabby" monsters), or make the environment one where the players will want to be moving around a lot. Suddenly, the monks ability to push people out of grabs becomes not encounter-nullifying but encounter-essential, while the players still have backup plans in the form of standard antigrab techniques.

[KillianHawkeye]

You're right. On the other hand, escaping via a skill check is only a movement action, not a standard one as I incorrectly remembered.

So your monk is escaping via an attack that might fail but might do damage and is a standard action, instead of a skill check that might fail and is a move action. I guess this gives him twice as many chances to get away if he uses both, but it still doesn't seem like that big a deal. Grabs generally don't last all that long.

Actually, since the normal Escape action is a move action, everyone has two chances per round to get out of a grab, assuming they forgo their ability to attack.

[Parvum]

I will take Sir_Elderberry's advice. Modifying the encounters to better suit the player and highlight his skills would be the best course of action. I am certain the other players will be suitably impressed when they are released from the grasp of up to four creatures in a single round. I simply hope they don't assume I'm doing it again and restart as monks.

[jiriku]

Good call. Making your players feel awesome is always a winning move.

[krossbow7]

Throw Mindless beings, like undead or constructs at them with exploding runes or other self destruct mechanism.


Make them feel awesome as they kick that thing away as it explodes.

[Kurald Galain]

I'm newly a DM and I'm running for a party that includes a second level halfling monk. Long story short, he can push up to two creatures at will.

So can any wizard using Thunderwave. Also, any Eladrin, Shadar-Kai or Shardmind can escape grabs by using their teleportation ability.

Grabbing is not intended to be a big deal in 4E: that's why it only causes the "immobilized" condition, which doesn't hamper the majority of classes all that much. Aside from monsters that have special attacks involving grabs, it is simply not a maneuver that should come up often. So don't worry about this halfling.

Doesn't being grabbed give you something like a -4 to attacks?

Nope.

[Yakk]

He has to hit to push.

[Snowstorm]

He has to hit to push.

If you're evil, or if the monster is a cute little tentacle beast, you could also say it imposes the 'Restrained' effect on a grab, which does give a (-2)? penalty to hit.

[Swordgleam]

If you're evil, or if the monster is a cute little tentacle beast, you could also say it imposes the 'Restrained' effect on a grab, which does give a (-2)? penalty to hit.

Aha! That's what I was thinking of. Thank you. I was starting to think I was crazy.

[erikun]

My Players Have Freedom of Movement at Second Level, or
My Player Has Freedom of Movement at Second Level

[EDIT]
or My Player's Character Has Freedom of Movement at Second Level

I agree that you shouldn't change the game in an attempt to "nerf" any one character. Some tactics will work well against the party, while others will easily be defeated by the abilities various party members have. Avoiding the challanges that your party easily overcome will make the players wonder why they wasted their time devising interesting tactics that never come up in a session. As long as it doesn't come up that often, it won't be a major problem. If anything, it gives the players a chance to be awesome with the choices they've made for their characters.

Also, note that this isn't Freedom of Movement. The character still cannot pass through difficult terrain any easier than before, and difficult terrain is far more common than grappling.

[Swordgleam]

My Players Have Freedom of Movement at Second Level, or
My Player Has Freedom of Movement at Second Level

[EDIT]
or My Player's Character Has Freedom of Movement at Second Level

The apostrophe s in a case like this implies "has." So "My player has got freedom of movement," which I believe is technically correct.